


The concept of perfection

by RogerThis



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Bottom Lance (Voltron), Healthy Lance/Lotor (Voltron), How Do I Tag, Hunk and Lance are bros, Hurt/Comfort, Lance (Voltron)-centric, Lotor is a good guy, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Smut, Soulmates, Tags May Change, Top Lotor (Voltron), just assume everyone is gay, or dont, slow burn lance/lotor (voltron), smut in later chapters, this is my first fic be nice
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:40:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22240456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RogerThis/pseuds/RogerThis
Summary: Lance Mcclain had always dreamed of the day he would find his soulmate. He had just never thought that they would meet on opposite ends of the sword that was meant to kill him.Lotor had never believed that his soulmate existed, yet he frequently found himself waiting for them to come into his life. But in all his fantasies, he had never pictured them to be quite so elusive.After an unexpected attack from the Galra, Lance finds himself face to face with the person he's been dreaming of his entire life- but upon discovering the identity of his soulmate, his dream quickly becomes a nightmare.Lance is desperate to avoid discovery, but Lotor is relentlessly searching for the masked rebel fighter that owns the other half of his heart.Lotor is determined to find him again,and Lance is running out of places to hide.(I'm bad at summaries, please give it a shot)
Relationships: Lance/Lotor (Voltron), Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, shiro/adam (voltron) - mentioned
Comments: 46
Kudos: 153





	1. The exception (pilot)

**Author's Note:**

> The first chapter was written at different times, so my writing style is kind of inconsistent, sorry!  
> Also this is my first AO3 fic so please be kind :)  
> Not beta read.

Life was a mercurial, fickle thing. It was unpredictable and uncertain, shifting like the tides in the ocean. Nothing was set in stone; nothing was definite. Nothing was made to last forever. Life was full of hardships and pain, full of anguish and suffering; devoid of perfection. It was as if it was written in the laws of actuality; as if it were a vow made by the stars. But, there were always exceptions to every rule, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem.

There was nothing that could compare to the myth that was perfection, nothing that could destroy someone more than the concept of something unattainable. No matter how content you believed yourself to be, there were always the seeds of doubt planted in the furthest corners of your mind that wondered if you would ever truly be satisfied with what life had to offer.

Until they found someone to change their perception. Someone made of perfection.

It was almost as if some higher power had taken pity on those who roamed Below- had decided to grant them the chance at what they considered to be perfect.

And in all the chaos that made up the fabric of the universe,

They had created the exception.

~

Lotor didn’t believe in soulmates, didn’t believe that somewhere out in the vast expanse of space there was someone made entirely for him. Or, rather, he never thought that he would ever _meet_ them, and found it easier to come to terms with the fact that they simply didn’t exist. No, it was far less painful to just think it all fiction, rather than fruitlessly searching for someone you may never find. Of course, he had met those who had found the one who held the key to their heart, and though try as me might, he couldn’t help but listen in whenever they told the story. Lotor never really understood why; the stories were all the same, yet they sounded entirely different every time they passed a new set of lips. And in spite of himself, he felt his heart longing to tell that same story, but about someone of his own. No, he didn’t believe in soulmates, didn’t believe that he was fated to another being. Yet still, he waited for someone who didn’t exist to waltz into his life, and somehow make it all better. He waited, and waited, and waited.

But no one ever came.

No matter how much he may deny it, Lance Mcclain was a hopeless romantic, and couldn’t wait till the day he met the other half of his heart. He didn’t expect much of his soulmate- he didn’t anticipate someone rich and famous, someone powerful and influential. All Lance ever wanted was the love and affection that shone in his mama’s and papa’s smiles when they looked at one another. He didn’t want the world, he just wanted happiness; just wanted someone to look at him with unconditional love burning in their eyes, and to be able to look back with the same expression. It wasn’t much to ask, but it truly was all he wanted for a really, _really_ long time. Until he discovered Takashi Shirogane, the best fighter pilot the world has ever known (at least, according to Lance). From then on, he had room in his heart for another goal: admission into the Galaxy Garrison. He knew his chances of getting in weren’t high, but that only motivated him all the more. With his new dream in mind, finding his soulmate took a backseat on Lance’s list of priorities- even if he were to pass the entrance exam, there was no way he could afford the tuition. Juggling his studies, and two part time jobs was piling a lot on his plate, and searching for his soulmate just hadn’t been a bright idea at that moment in time. Lance never doubted he would find his soulmate, he just figured that there was a time and a place for everything- and right now? Now was neither. He never stopped to think about how many of his classmates had already found their beloved, or how he started seeing his friends less and less. He had his mind set on the garrison, and he couldn’t afford to let anything distract him.

It was many months of studying, all nighters, and a near caffeine overdose later that Lance finally took the exam, and yet more before he finally received his long awaited acceptance letter. A full scholarship into the Galaxy Garrison. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that he cried at the news. With the weight of his future lifted from his shoulders, Lance finally had a moment to stop and take a look at his social life. Or rather, what remained of it. He had been busy for months, and lost more than a few friends as a consequence, but in that moment, Lance didn’t really care. Years from now, it wouldn’t matter anyway. He would be a successful pilot, happily married to his soulmate- now that he had secured his spot in the garrison, Lance was finally able to return to hunting for them. And despite the sacrifices he had made, the friends he had lost, and the case of his still unknown other half, Lance’s life felt pretty damn perfect.

Unfortunately, perfection doesn’t exist, and plans aren’t always made to be followed. After a few months attending the garrison, these things started to become clearer and clearer until the were practically forcing themselves in front of Lance’s eyes. Without the constant need to study, Lance soon found himself looking around at his peers, and finally realising what had begun so long ago: many had already found their soulmates, while Lance was still alone. He wrote it off at first, thinking it nothing other than luck until it became impossible to ignore. But Lance Mcclain wasn’t one to give up, and still held a bright flame of hope in his heart that he would one day meet his fated. Life at the garrison slowly became easier. He had made friends with his team from the simulation- Hunk Garrett, and Pidge Gunderson. While those two were definitely closer to each other than to Lance, he didn’t mind so much. He’d rather be a third wheel than nothing at all. Despite how popular he had become within their class (he had even earned himself a nickname- The Tailor) he wasn’t able to hang on to friends particularly well. Although he may be well liked, not many people were able to stay close to Lance- he was a bit high maintenance, or so they said. He was pretty sure the real reason why no one stuck around was because they had always wanted more from him than friendship- it wasn’t uncommon for people to form relationships; it was often easier than waiting for someone who may never appear. But Lance could never bring himself to even try with dating when there was the chance that there was someone out there waiting for him. The explanation always yielded the same results: it earned him a groan, and soon enough they’d stop talking to him after that. Lance understood- he probably wouldn’t want to be friends with him either. He just hoped his soulmate would be able to look past his flaws. Because if they couldn’t...he didn’t want to think about what happens if they couldn’t.

It wasn’t until his encounter with the blue lion that his resolve truly began to waiver. Sure, he had always believed there to be other forms of life- in the great expanse of space, Earth couldn’t be the only planet with living, breathing creatures- but he had never thought that it would be proved in his lifetime; he never thought about what that would mean for him.

With an intergalactic war, the chances of him making it back home _alive_ were diminishing with every attack the Galra lead- the chances of him finding his soulmate among the millions of planets he was supposed to protect? He didn’t want to think about it. Thinking about his soulmate these days usually just ended with him crying- though he would never admit it.

Once, he couldn’t think of anything better than meeting his other half.

Now, part of him wishes he never will.


	2. The voids between the stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of character development before the main plot :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to apologise for taking so long to post this- I will go into more detail on why at the end of the chapter. My writing style changed a lot while writing this- I noticed that I changed POV part way through and I'm sorry- but I thought it be better to post the chapter than to spend ages fixing it. I'll be posting my updating schedule on my profile soon, and you can check my instagram (@_rogerthis_) for updates or previews. A new chapter will be posted very soon (within a few days max!); this one was meant to be longer, but I decided to end it where it did to keep it flowing nicely. Thank you for bearing with me!

The war was meant to be over. 

Those words echoed around behind Lance’s eyes; tormenting his thoughts. He wasn’t meant to be here. He wasn’t meant to still be on a ten-thousand year old space vessel, fighting a battle that had raged for centuries before him. Lance blocked against the bot, the clang of steel echoing throughout the training deck. He wasn’t meant to be preparing for a fight that should no longer exist. He was meant to leave the castle for the last time. He was meant to bicker with Veronica and to cook for his family. He was meant to play with his nieces and laugh with his nephews. He was meant to study with Hunk and to play videogames with Pidge, to bitch about Keith and to look up to Shiro. 

He was meant to go _home_. 

Lance swung at his opponent, a newfound anger behind his blows. He was losing, but he didn’t care. His movements became more and more unhinged and sloppy, swipes angry and hectic. He knew he was going to hurt himself, but he didn’t care. He didn’t understand why anyone did. 

All he understood was the force behind his hits; the language of his blade. And even that was becoming blurrier and blurrier as his battle raged on. He hardly registered the footsteps echoing through the training deck, silencing close behind him. Lance continued to swing his sword. 

“End training sequence,” It was a voice Lance knew well, but one his brain refused to recognise. He wasn’t in the mood for a lecture.

The bot fell to the floor, the artificial life dying behind its eyes.

Lance continued to swing his sword.

The bot became battered and broken; unable to defend against the onslaught of attacks. 

Lance continued to swing his sword. Again. And again. And again. He wouldn’t stop- _couldn’t_ stop. He wasn’t sure what he would do once he did. 

It wasn’t until he felt a hand on his shoulder that he released his weapon. 

“Lance,” Shiro turned him around to face the older man. There was no anger in his face, like Lance had thought there would be. Only concern. Somehow that was worse. 

“I don’t want a lecture right now, Shiro,” It wasn’t just that I didn’t want criticism, that I didn’t want advice. I didn’t want anything that someone could offer. I didn’t want someone to reassure me, to whisper encouragement into my ear until it drowned out all the background noise. 

I just wanted to go home.

Shiro sighed- something he was doing more and more these days. It was hard to keep my mind from wondering if I were the reason. 

“I’m not here to lecture you- I’m just worried, Lance. We all are,” His tone held no malice, but the frustration in his eyes was obvious; he didn’t want to have to keep having this conversation. 

_Fine, then. I’ll be sure that this time will be the last._

I shrugged off his hold. I didn’t want him to touch me.

“You shouldn’t be. I can take care of myself just fine, funny enough,” My sword was on the floor next to Shiro. When did I put it down? “You don’t need to keep watch over everything I do. I’m perfectly capable of doing things on my own,”

Shiro scoffed, pinching the bridge of his nose and rolling his eyes. That was another thing he’d been doing a lot lately. 

“Honestly, Lance? I’m not convinced. You keep pushing yourself to the breaking point, and-” He screwed his eyes shut, clenching and loosening his robotic hand. Huh, that one was new.

“-Sooner or later you’re not going to bounce back so quickly. You’re burning out, Lance. It seems everyone can tell except you,” 

A near replica of the speech he gave me the last time. And the time before. Now it was my turn to scoff. 

“What’s wrong with a bit of extra training here and there? God knows we could all use it,” I snapped, my voice dwindling to a low grumble as I went on. “We wouldn’t still be here if we didn’t. If we were better we would be home by now,”.

Shiro sighed again. A tired, practised sigh. 

“You don’t believe that. It didn’t matter how good we were- none of us could have planned for Zarkon to have a son. None of us could have predicted what was going to happen,” He looked up at me. The pity in his eyes had been replaced with...something else. Something I couldn’t quite place. He looked tired. Had he always been this tired?

“You’re right- there's nothing wrong with extra training. But this? This isn’t helping you. You’re exhausted, you need a break,” 

“Keith trains all the time. I don’t see the problem,” I sneered as I pushed past Shiro, towards the pile of scraps littering the floor. It made me feel sick. Why is it sickening to look at? 

I knew it was a low blow- Keith and Shiro seemed to have this complicated bond the rest of us could never relate too. It killed Shiro to watch Keith batter himself and to have no power to stop him. Is that how he felt now, watch me do the same?

No. Surely not. Keith was special- not just to Shiro, but to Voltron. Lance? He wasn’t vital. 

“Yes, he does- and we’ve all seen the consequences of it. Hell, even Keith’s agreed to let himself rest a bit while we regain our bearings. I don’t see why you’re fighting me on this,” The usual calm and collected patience that Shiro spoke with was quickly being replaced with annoyance and anger. He was looking at me again. I couldn’t meet his eyes.

Another sigh. Another roll of the eyes. Another repeat of the cycle, playing on like a broken record. “Look, I understand that you want to go home. But you’re no help to anyone stuck in a healing pod- wearing yourself down isn’t going to send you home any faster-”

I can’t stand it. I can’t stand _him._ Always righteous and guiding, judging from atop his pedestal of perfection. Perfection didn’t exist- it seemed Shiro needed reminded. 

“I don’t care anymore. Honestly? _I don’t._ I don’t care if I burn myself out- not if that's what it takes to win this war,” I could see the shock coat Shiro’s face, but I was past caring. 

“You can’t expect me to sit here and do nothing while the rest of the rebellion is out there fixing our mistakes. We were meant to take down the Galra. And we failed,” I was shaking, now, trembles racking down my body. I couldn’t stay here. I had to leave.

I walked towards the door. Shiro didn’t try to stop me. I’m not sure what I would have done if he had tried. 

The handle was in reach, now. I could feel his eyes on me as I grasped at it. 

“And Shiro?” I turned around to face him.

He stared at me. I stared back. 

“I don’t intend to fail a second time,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. This was mainly some character building- showing what state Lance is in before we get onto the actual plot- there was originally meant to be more storyline in this chapter, but I felt it would fit better if I spread it out more. The writing style for this chapter is a bit all over the place- for that I would like to apologise. I wrote different parts of it at different stages- future chapters will be much more consistent. 
> 
> I will be posting the next chapter within a few days (exact date will be on my profile!) and I would like to thank you all for all the lovely comments- I've responded to most of them, and I will be sure not to leave such large updating gaps in the future. There has been a lot going on in the world right now, and I have been overwhelmed. 
> 
> Speaking of the world- I will be posting a link in my instagram (@_rogerthis_) of places to donate to regarding BLM- DM me proof of donating $5 or more, and I will write you a short one shot or story of your choosing, posted on here. I can't guarantee that it will be long, but if I like the fandom/storyline or pairing, I may continue it. I hope you enjoyed the chapter- I can answer any questions you have in the comments. Constructive criticism welcome! I would love advice :)  
> Until next time!

**Author's Note:**

> There will be more from Lotor's perspective in future chapters, but this is primarily Lance centric. Please be aware: this chapter was more of background and character building, it will change to present tense soon :)  
> If you enjoyed please leave kudos or comment! I'd love any feedback.


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